Youth and Marijuana Use: Addressing the Risks in Missoula

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On the KGVO City Talk segment of Talk Back on Friday, Ward 3 City Councilor Gwen Jones revealed there are now 55 legal recreational and medical marijuana dispensaries in Missoula.

“What we've seen happen is we have a lot of (legal marijuana) stores in Missoula right now,” began Jones. “We have, I think, 55 as of last month, which is a huge amount when public health recommendations state that we should have four or five, or actually up to 12 maximum.”

City Councilor Gwen Jones Was on Friday's Talk Back for City Talk

Jones said the rapid increase of marijuana dispensaries in Missoula has brought what she called ‘unintended consequences’.

“What we've heard for a couple of years now is, oh, there's going to be attrition,” she said. “That's typically what happens, and that's what the law of economics would dictate. I'm sure they are all fighting for market share, but yes, we do have a lot. However, I think we have seen some pretty severe unintended consequences, starting slowly with medical marijuana, but then really exacerbated by recreational marijuana, and that is the topic of today’s City Talk.”

Leah Fitch-Brody With Missoula Public Health Addressed the Effect of Pot on Kids

Leah Fitch-Brody, Substance Use Disorder Prevention Coordinator at Missoula Public Health was also on the City Talk program and addressed the effects that legal marijuana is having on young people.

“Youth have gotten the message that you're not supposed to drink and drive, right? And so it's only about 4 percent of youth who drink and drive in Missoula,” began Fitch-Brody. “It's 14 percent who now use cannabis and drive. So we're seeing a lot more youth, maybe not drinking, but they're using cannabis and driving, and so that is a huge concern for us.”

Fitch-Brody said legal marijuana is sending Missoula youth to hospitals with serious medical issues.

Fitch-Brody Said Pot is Causing Serious Medical Issues for Missoula's Youth

“We are seeing more incidents in our local hospitals of cannabis-induced psychosis,” she said. “We're also seeing incidents of Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, which is repeatedly vomiting, and so we are seeing more and more youth going into our hospitals with incidents of these kinds of things. So that is, I think, a huge concern.”

The Montana Alliance for Prevention (MAP) has four policy recommendations for the 2025 legislature.